Some Days You’re Just ‘Living’

October 14, 2019

I love country music. The stories country songs tell hit home with me. I like a lot of country artists, but one song that I keep hearing that I love right now is “Living” by Dierks Bentley.

It’s autobiographical for Dierks, who puts on a great live concert by the way. If you ever have the chance to go see him, I encourage you to do so because he will not disappoint.

“Living” is Dierks’ way of sharing some wisdom he has picked up by living much of his life on the road. It’s his way to remind all of us to grab happiness every chance we get before this short life ends. In several interviews about the song, Dierks has admitted that he sometimes looks past all the good things in his life.

Now, this song was debuted in December of 2017, but I think this is a song that people will turn to for many years to come. It hit No. 1 on the country music charts in 2019.

There are so many lyrics in this song that I can relate to and it really makes me think about where I’m at in my life right now. It reminds me of how blessed I am to have my family, my health, my faith and a great group of friends surrounding me.

“This mornin’ I got up at 6:01 … I walked out and saw the rising sun … And I drank it in like whiskey.”

I can’t tell you how many mornings I’m up at 6 a.m. and start my day at house in Union Ridge. It’s out in the country on the same land I grew up on. A lot of days, I’ll look out over the property and think about how the trees weren’t always as tall as they are now. I’m surrounded by Mother Nature at my house, and it’s a great place to “get my mind right” when I start my day.

“I saw a tree I’ve seen a thousand times … A bird on a branch and I watched it fly away in the wind … And it hit me.”

I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m guilty of not soaking up the beautiful views around me at my house as much as I should. This song reminds me to do that after I hear it. It reminds me of growing up and dreaming of what I could accomplish when I got older.

“It’s a beautiful world sometimes I don’t see so clear … Some days you just breath in … Just try to break even.”

We all are faced with obstacles and challenges that test our limits. If we can stay focused and not give up, eventually we weather the storm and come out better on the other side. Some days it seems like nothing is going your way, but you can’t let it get the best of you. I try to do the best I can each day. Do I fall short? Yes! A lot! When I have those days I don’t feel like were great, I do my best to make up for it the following day.

“Sometimes your heart’s poundin’ out of your chest … Sometimes it’s just beatin’ … Some days you just forget … What all you’ve been given … Some days you just get back … And some days you’re just alive.”

Life is full of ups and downs. We all have great days and not-so-great days. The trick is to ride the waves out and make the best of what you are faced with. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us, even though it’s hard to be grateful for each day we are blessed with. This song reminds me not to take for granted any day the good Lord grants me.

“Some days you’re livin’ … Some days you’re livin’”

Some days are not as exciting as others, but you have to live each day to the best of your ability. It’s easy to lose sight of that when you are going through an ordinary day, but you have to try to remember that it can always be worse.

“Some days are not as exciting as others, but you have to live each day to the best of your ability. It’s easy to lose sight of that when you are going through an ordinary day, but you have to try to remember that it can always be worse.”

“I went back in and fired the coffee up … She walked in the kitchen like she always does … In my t-shirt and it killed me … And I kissed her like it was the first time … She laughed and looked at me like I’d lost my mind … I said, ‘baby, I love you, can’t live without you, I know I don’t say it enough.’”

Of course this reminds me of my wife, Jane. I can remember both of us burning up the roads between North Carolina State in Raleigh and UNC Greensboro in Greensboro when we were dating in college. I think about how hard it was for her when she had cancer and kept working because we needed the money. I think about us raising Spencer and Haleigh, and all the great times we’ve had so far. I’ve definitely seen Jane give me the look where she does think I’m crazy and that I’ve lost my mind when I tell her something. That line makes me laugh!

“Some days you just forget … What all you’ve been given … Some days you just get back … And some days you’re just alive … Some days you’re livin’ … Like you never die.”

Gratitude. We all need to practice it more. The fact that I was born in the United States is amazing. It’s like winning the lottery. I’m grateful for all God has given me. It’s incredible.

“Blue’s a little bluer up in the sky … You’re high’s a little high … You feel that fire you’ve been missing.”

This part of the song reminds me of being up in the sky on Alliance Air, being able to see ridiculous views with my friends and family. It still blows my mind that an airplane can roll down the runway and get off the ground. I love flying. I love seeing the world. Flying around in our planes offers me the chance to spend quality time with people and focus on projects without all the distractions we are faced with on the ground.

“Some days you start singin’ … And you don’t need a reason … Sometimes the world’s just right … Your clear eyes ain’t even blinkin’ … Got a heart full of grateful … For all you’ve been given … Some days you just get by … Yeah some days you’re just alive.”

I love those days where I’m apparently happy for no valid reason at all. It’s a good feeling when you don’t need a specific reason to be happy about being alive. When things are going well and you aren’t worried about 15 things you need to fix, life is good. That’s the gratitude I’m talking about.

Most of us know what it’s like to spend the night in a hotel room in less than ideal circumstances. For musicians like Dierks, they do it for months at a time during tours. It would be very easy to get tired of the routine, playing the same songs, night after night in another new town. Dierks has admitted it can be dark and lonesome at times. You can get tired of it I’m sure. You also miss stuff when you are not home. However, the sacrifice of that appears to have been worth it to Dierks.

I can relate to missing things while I’m on the road traveling, but I know that it has been worth it. I have been able to enjoy so many things that most people are not because of spending so much time on the road working to build my business with people all over the United States.

When I am home, I do my best to soak it all in. I try to be grateful for all that I have. I do my best to live every day. I try to do things that remind me that I am alive! This song helps me to remember to do that. I hope this blog serves as a reminder for you to spend each day … LIVING!